


Laid To Waste

by Thecsquirrel



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, angsty fluff, badass Nadine, blood and bullets, foul language ahead, post-Tusk, what is it with these two and hospitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thecsquirrel/pseuds/Thecsquirrel
Summary: Chloe gets herself into a spot of trouble and Nadine proves she would pretty much burn down the world to get her back.





	Laid To Waste

**Author's Note:**

> *This was me challenging myself to write some action and this is what happened. I think I'm mostly satisfied. Be gentle.  
> **All mistakes are mine.

**Part I.**

**Chloe Fucking Frazer.**

Smoky gray eyes. Lopsided smirk. Always quick with a witty retort or cheeky rejoinder. Coal black hair that hinted at her heritage. Not terribly muscular, but lithe and toned, agile and graceful. 

Control freak. Yup. Reckless. Sometimes. Rakish. Always. Stubborn. Totally. A wee bit selfish. For sure. And definitely an opportunist. World class thief, no doubt. 

****

However, despite her faults, despite her hang-ups, and even despite her tendencies, she was a damn good friend. A loyal friend. A best friend. 

****

And the moment the former mercenary saw her partner and her friend get shoved out of a third story window of a Verona villa, Nadine Ross realized that nothing else mattered. Everything that was important, everything that was amazing, everything that was possible, was just pushed out of a window high above ancient cobblestone. 

Chloe's startled yelp lacerated her ears and the sight of her falling backwards was like a sledgehammer to her heart. 

Nadine had held herself in check for months - a full eight, in fact. She had willingly suffered the innuendo, the flirtatious comebacks, the tight spaces, casual touches, long glances, long days, and excruciatingly long nights, sometimes huddled together, crawling through mud, blood, and bone in search of some prize. And regardless of the grime (or the shit that one time) Nadine would gladly do it, if for no other reason than to be by Chloe's side. 

She was ass over tea kettle in love with Chloe Fucking Frazer. 

And that woman had just been pushed out of a third-story window of a villa in Verona. 

**________________________________________  
_30 Minutes earlier..._**

"You want me to what?" Golden-brown eyes opened wide in disbelief and confusion. Nadine pushed back against Chloe's arms, while the woman was trying to shove her towards a closet door. 

"Not so loud, for fucks sake." Chloe whipped her head towards the door. "I need you out of sight." She pushed again, but Nadine planted her feet and practically dared the other woman to try to move her. Chloe groaned and dropped her hands. She may have had the slight height advantage, but Nadine's compact frame housed sculpted muscle that Chloe couldn't match. Force never worked with Nadine, they both knew that, but often the art of a good thief was distraction and Chloe was a damn good thief. 

She quickly changed tactics. "Nadine," she bored gray eyes into brown and practically pouted. "Please. Trust me. You can't be here. Just stay put and- 

Nadine clenched her jaw and folded her arms across her chest, as if that was going to defend against the power of Chloe's voice and sullen eyes. She cut her off mid-sentence. "And do what, Frazer? I'm not leaving you alone with that psychopath." As always, when it came to Chloe, Nadine always showed her cards. 

The pout was quickly replaced by her customary cocksure smirk and she dramatically batted her eyelashes at the darker woman. If she wasn't absolutely smitten with the former mercenary she might feel bad. Instead, she placed her hands on muscled shoulders that were taut thanks to Nadine's stance. "Do you trust me, love?" 

Nadine dug her blunt fingernails into her biceps as Chloe's husky whisper hit her ears. She could only manage to arch an eyebrow in response. She knew her words were going to fail her. 

Chloe just grinned wider. "Then be a good girl and get in that closet for me." She felt Nadine bristle and quickly added, "please, Nadine." Black hair whipped around as she turned back towards the door. "He thinks I'm doing this alone and believe me, we need the upper hand here." 

Nadine let out a something akin to a half-growl, half-sigh. Chloe was right and apparently, she had been listening while Nadine had talked strategy while they were stuck on long countryside drives. 

Forno, the man Chloe was about to meet, reminded Nadine a lot of Rafe -- which meant he couldn't be trusted. "For the record, I don't like it." She started to unfold her arms. 

Chloe nodded. "I know you don't." She still didn't release her shoulders. "But this is this only way we'll get what we came for, okay? It'll be fine." 

Nadine rolled her eyes at that and finally stepped back, causing Chloe's hands to fall away from her shoulders. Briefly, she missed the contact. She met Chloe's gaze. "I'm giving you a 5-minute head start, Frazer, that's it." 

Chloe scrunched up her face in disagreement. "How 'bout 20?" 

The look of exasperation on Nadine's face was enough of answer, but she still added, "I'll give you ten." 

"Perfect." Chloe smiled like she won a prize at a fair before pressing a quick kiss to a brown cheek and then effectively shoved the slightly shocked woman into the open closet and snapped the door shut. 

Not a moment later she was swinging open the hotel door to the pock-marked face of Raphael Forno, III. He wore tan slacks and a dusty rose button down with the collar open too wide and a pair of loafers. If he was aiming for annoying Mediterranean tourist, then he was not far off the mark. 

"Raphael," she beamed. Nadine could practically hear the fake smile she was wearing. "Shall we head to the villa?" 

"Chloe. Good to see you again." The hackles on Nadine's neck rose as she was sure she sensed the lack of veracity in his words. "We may have to make one stop, if you don't mind." 

"Please tell me it's to get some wine." She winked at Forno. 

Raphael chuckled. "I'm sure we can arrange that." 

Nadine heard the door close and pressed the timer on her watch. She let a full five minutes go by before she pushed open the doors of the closet. She headed straight for the bed and pulled out the duffel bag beneath the duvet. Her eyes were focused as she opened the bag and grabbed what she needed. She kept her mind on the simple task of getting ready and not on worrying about Chloe. Admittedly, Chloe was not about to become a hired assassin, but the woman could handle herself, of that Nadine was confident, so she didn’t rush. 

Once Nadine laced up her boots and tucked the hem of her black cotton t-shirt into her cargo pants she grabbed her gear. She strapped on both thigh holsters: her modified Glock to her left and a Sig Sauer p320 compact to her right. The snub-nose revolver fit snugly in the inside of her right boot and she kept a pair of tactical karambit knives with finger-grips and curved blades at her hips. And if all else failed, then the Kukri that Chloe had picked up for her in Nepal two months earlier, was strapped to her back. 

Nadine readjusted her ponytail before grabbing the two silenced 9mm pistols off the bed and placing them in her shoulder holsters. She swung on her forest green puffer vest and checked her watch. Two minutes to spare. Chloe could yell at her later for being early. ________________________________________  
_5 minutes earlier..._

Nadine had driven straight to the villa and parked far enough away to make her ascent up a low side and through the vineyard. She avoided the scant guards she saw meandering on the grounds and instead saved her bullets for the Villa guards. She had yet to see Chloe, but the heavy guard presence at least let her know she was nearby. Once again, Nadine seriously contemplated getting earpieces for them both. She hated going in blind. The stone villa made her approach slower than normal, in order to dampen the sound of her boots. From the recon they had done two days ago, the information they needed was kept in the tower office, which was up a back stairwell. The first landing was clear but not the second. Nadine kicked a loose rock towards the wall, drawing the attention of muscled guard. With a practice approach and grip, she had him choked out in a matter of minutes. She pushed his body down the steps and picked up his assault rifle. She continued her ascent to the third floor with ease, dropping two more guards before she tossed her plan out of the window. 

During the past eight months of traveling with the seemingly restless woman, Nadine had become attuned to all things Chloe. She had convinced herself that her ability to ferret out Chloe in a dark room was a necessary skill and not something far more romantic. It was Chloe's raised voice that caught attention now. 

She could hear the nerves in the uncharacteristic tremble in voice. "Now, wait just a minute, Forno! What the hell is this?" 

Nadine took the steps two at a time. The first guard came at her muzzle first and his mistake was her gain, as she tipped the rifle and eventually him over the railing. She swung the butt of the rifle at the next guard and connected squarely with his jaw. A booted foot to his knee sent him to the ground, where she subsequently smashed the rifle into the back of his head. 

Chloe's "what the fuck, Forno!" greeted her as she front-kicked a guard through the wooden door. As the hinges collapsed, Nadine realized her error. The sudden shock of the breaking door startled Forno. Whether it had been his plan all along or just a threat, he reached out and shoved. Chloe disappeared out of the window with a surprised yelp wrenched from her throat. 

Two things were clear to Nadine in that split second: the look of fear on Chloe's face and the sheer delight on Forno's. If Nadine could've stopped time or moved fast enough to catch Chloe before she fell from the window, then maybe things would have gone differently. Perhaps, she would have made different choices. On the other hand, as the only person she had cared about in quite some time had just been pushed out of a window to her possible death, Nadine really only had one option: get to Chloe. 

**\-------------------------**

Nadine Fucking Ross. 

Mercenary. Soldier. Stubborn asshat. Wikepedia Master. Loyal. Pragmatic. Adorable. She was indeed her father's daughter. 

General Ross had no sons. A few nephews, yes, but no sons. Only the one child - a daughter born of a defiant Dutch woman who fell in love and married a man she shouldn't have. Unfortunately, she didn't live to see Nadine grow up, but her father raised her with all the love he had and all the training he would have given to his son. The lessons had been numerous and not always nice, but they made her a better soldier and for a time, a better leader. While the past eight months with Chloe had begun to lessen the guilt and shame she had over losing Shoreline, she would never forget her father's lessons. And one that remained true in this moment was that a straight path was always the best way out. Keep it simple, he said. And leave nothing in your wake. 

There were 50 yards between the door and the window. Ten bodies stood in between the span. Nadine didn't know if her body would be number eleven, but she was very clear that if all that stood between her getting to Chloe was these ten bodies, then she would not be among them. 

The only cover in the room was a desk far to her right and a metal file cabinet closer on her left. However, the best cover was the closest body to her left. Nadine dropped to her knees and rolled on her side, taking out the legs of the burly guard. Gunfire whizzed around her as she scrambled behind the big body. He took all the fire as he got to his feet and in the confusion Nadine made her shots count. She drew both silenced pistols from her shoulder holsters and took out bodies two and three at her left and right. 

She dove towards the file cabinet and kicked it over just as a bullet seared the flesh of her shoulder. It was a graze, but that didn't make the heat of the metal burn any less, as it took out a chunk of her flesh. From behind her cover, she aimed for kneecaps and throats and foreheads. Bodies four and five dropped to ground with barely a shout, while body six let out a mournful howl when several bullets shredded his knees. Nadine discarded the silenced pistols and pulled out her Glock. She watched Forno made to move towards his desk and she fired in his direction, sending the man to the ground looking for cover. 

Nadine lost sight of the seventh guard, but reacted quickly when she was gripped from behind in a bear hug; gun trapped her to her chest. Nadine immediately swung her legs up and let momentum and gravity go to work. As her legs swung back down, the man lost his balance and she flipped him over her back. His back hit the ground hard. And before he could even think to gulp for air, Nadine's booted foot was in his throat and she was pulling the trigger. 

"Fucking shoot her!" Forno bellowed from the corner. 

Nadine scurried over the file cabinet just as the staccato zip of bullets pummeled the metal. She pulled out her other pistol and at the tell-tale sign of reloading, she stood and fired. Practiced and efficient. It took four bullets to drop bodies eight and nine. Forno gave her no time to admire her work, as her charged at her with a face red with anger and teeth gritted in frustration. Even as his shoulder crashed into her abdomen and he lifted her off her feet, she slammed her elbow into his spine repeatedly. The force of his tackle drove her into the ground and her head slammed to the stone, dazing her bit. She felt a foot kick at her hand and loosen the gun from her right hand. Blindly, she swung her arm around, still a little woozy and lost the left pistol. 

Forno bared his teeth in a moment of triumph. He lifted his foot and prepared to send a kick towards Nadine's face, but she caught him at the ankle as she got up on one knee. Nadine wasted no time in smashing her elbow into the side of his knee. He jerked his leg back in pain and tumbled backwards, tripping over bloody bodies. With a shake of her head, Nadine was on her feet and pulling her karambits from their sheaths. She watched as Forno crawled on his hands and knees, clearly in search of a weapon. Nadine simply gripped her knives and waited. 

Forno attempted to turn around quickly with a gun in hand, but Nadine caught his right arm and slammed the curved blade up into his armpit, before pulling out with a twist. Forno let out a shriek and clutched his arm in a feeble attempt to lessen the pain. She kicked him in the face for good measure. If Chloe was indeed dead, then she was going to make Forno suffer. She moved to go after him again when she heard booted feet charging up the stairs. 

Nadine turned left and dove for the desk in the corner just as gunfire sprayed the room. The rapid fire destroyed the wood of the desk and sent splinters everywhere. The gunfire ceased for a moment as one guard came to help Forno to his feet. Nadine was on her feet in a blink of eye and launching herself at his back. She wrapped strong thighs around his waist and put him in a headlock before plunging her blade into his throat. He let out a gurgled scream as he teetered backwards. They toppled to the floor and his larger body knocked the air out from her lungs. Nadine let out a gasp and a cough as she shoved his body away. 

There was barely time to even take a breath before she was rolling away from the barrel of a gun. Perhaps the movement helped her avoid immediate death, but it did not stop the bullet from ripping through her right shoulder, just under her clavicle. Enraged at her misstep, she kicked out Forno's legs and sent him to ground once more. Responding to movement on the periphery, she pulled the snub nose revolver from her boot and sent a sure-shot between the eyes of the last remaining guard. Her relief was short lived as a bloodied Forno was quickly hovering over her with fury in his eyes. He lunged forward and Nadine pulled the trigger once more. Forno's chest exploded and he fell dead at hear feet. Now, Nadine let out an exhausted breath before she glanced at the window. 

Instinctively, the soldier knew to wince at her bloody shoulder as it hung limp by her side, even if at the moment, the adrenaline was keeping the pain sensors at bay. On her way to the open window, she snatched her sig sauer from the underneath a random foot and shoved it in her thigh holster. 

Nadine had seen enough dead bodies to know what to expect, but as she peered out of the window she was genuinely surprised. And confused. A crease quickly formed between black eyebrows. Brown eyes blinked wide like pools of agate at the sight before her. She leaned out of the window and stared. There was no body. No blood. Nothing. 

"Ch-Chloe?!" She leaned further out of the window, bracing herself with her arms and jumped back with a hiss. Her shoulder was throbbing and bleeding. "Fucking hell," Nadine whispered out through clenched teeth. Her head was pounding, her heart was pumping in her chest, and her brain was awhirl. "Frazer!?" she called out desperately. 

"You called me Chloe, can't take it back now, china." Chloe's raspy and strained accent floated up from below. 

Nadine thought her knees were going to buckle with elation, but she held fast to the windowsill - damaged arm be damned. 'Where the?", she began as she leaned halfway out of the window. She used her thighs to keep from falling completely out of the window. There, braced underneath an awning and clinging to the side of the building was one Chloe Fucking Frazer. 

Nadine's deep sigh was audible; it was nearly a squeak. "I thought you were dead, woman." 

Chloe couldn't really look up, but she was imagining the smile on her partner's face. That would have to be enough for the moment. She knew full well what the sound of gun fire and screams of pain had meant, so the sound of Nadine's voice was a welcome comfort in her precarious position. "Well, uh, I'm not quite dead yet, but I do think I pulled something." 

Nadine chuckled as she leaned back from the window and stripped out of her vest to tend her wound. "I promise we can go for pizza and beers right after the hospital." 

"Ha!" Chloe found a sturdy foothold and tried to gauge the better angle: up or down. A window that was a precise leap away was going to be her best bet and then down. "Nah, no hospital. Just a hot bath and maybe a Nadine Ross special shiatsu massage." 

Nadine rolled her eyes as she ripped and shredded a curtain that she could use to pack her bleeding wound. "Massage will have to wait, Frazer." 

You can't see me, but I'm pouting." 

"Ja. I'm sure. And you can't see me, but I'm pretty much bleeding from a gunshot wound, so, uh- 

Chloe's frantic "what!" cut her off. "Why didn't you lead with that?! Fucking Christ! Nadine." 

"I was just happy to hear your voice." Nadine grinned at her honesty and slid down the wall to sit. She was losing blood and growing tired. 

"Not the right moment for romance, Nadine." Chloe's concerned voice was much closer. Strong hands gripped the stone ledge and Chloe pulled herself up onto the faux-balcony railing of the window that she had been pushed out of only a few minutes before. With a surge of strength powered by absolute fear and worry for Nadine, she clambered up the stone railing and tumbled over the ledge. She rolled to her feet quickly and into a crouch as she came face to face with the other woman. 

Despite the blood and sweat, Nadine looked radiant. She cracked a smile and if Chloe wasn't worried, she would have fallen over with delight. Instead, she took in the droopy eyes, the labored breath, breath and the blood seeping into the cloth and she felt the acid bubble up in stomach. She practically sat on top of Nadine's outstretched legs as she reached for her injured shoulder. 

Chloe was gentle as she probed Nadine's shoulder and re-positioned the make shift gauze. From Nadine's damp brow, she pushed back a stray curly stand of hair away that had escaped the tight low ponytail that Nadine always gathered her hair in when they were on a job. Chloe gently cupped her check with her right hand to garner her waning attention She managed to keep down the bile rising in her stomach as she spoke, "we need to get you out of here, love." 

Nadine opened heavy eyelids to look at Chloe and grinned. "Copy that." 

Chloe couldn't help but smile in response to the dopey grin on Nadine's face. She kept her tone free of the concern that was no doubt evident on her face. She was trying hard not to frown. "Can you walk?" 

"Ja." Nadine could tell Chloe was beginning to worry from the way gray eyes darted about her body, unsure where to stop. She drew in a deep breath and blew it out with puffed cheeks before nodding. 

Chloe stood and gripped Nadine's left arm and helped to pull her to her feet. Nadine kept her right arm tight against her chest, bent at the elbow as they walked through the littered bodies. They stopped halfway to the door. 

Chloe furrowed her brow in question and Nadine nodded at the chrome plated gun on to Chloe's right. "That one's mine." Chloe knew how picky the former mercenary was about her tools and toys, so she squatted down and picked up the gun before she gripped Nadine around the waist and got them walking again and headed to safety. 

It would be hours later, while reclining in the most uncomfortable hospital chair on the planet, that Chloe would register the amount of carnage that Nadine had left in her wake: a room full of bloodied and broken bodies. A room of heavily armed men laid to waste because Nadine thought she was dead. Chloe let her head loll back against the chair as she watched the steady rise and fall of Nadine's chest. She nibbled nervously on the fingernail of her thumb, the only outward sign that day's events were wearing on her. The consistent beep of the heart monitor synced with the thud of her own heartbeat. 

For months, she had been too afraid and too worried to seriously consider getting romantically involved with Nadine. After all, they were partners and a good team in a cut-throat business, where loyalty often came at the price of the highest bidder. A week in India had turned into a month in London, then two weeks in Egypt, which led to four days in Sierra Leone, that then became a few days in Brisbane, a few more days in Nepal, and they still had yet to make it to the states. No matter the destination and no matter the prize, Nadine would just look at Chloe with warm brown eyes and say, "Ja. Sure, let's do it." They'd plan and plan again (at Nadine's insistence), they'd bicker, Chloe would pack, and then Nadine would repack and then off they'd go to a new adventure. 

Chloe let out a soft laugh at herself and sat up so that she could lean forward and rest her elbows on her knees. She continued to absently toy with the fingers of her hands. She used the thumb and index finger of one hand to gently squeeze each fingertip of the opposite hand before repeating the action with the other hand. It was a way to pass the time. The surgery had been routine and she only now waited for Nadine to rouse from her anesthesia-aided slumber. 

From her seat, Chloe admired the sleeping woman. Despite the starchy white sheet and the unflattering hospital gown, Chloe's heart beat double-time at the sight of toffee-brown skin dusted with freckles. Gray eyes lingered over the long dark brown scar that traversed Nadine's neck, starting near her jugular and ran at a diagonal just under her clavicle When the bandages were removed, a fresh new scar would mark her skin. Chloe's lips curved into an appreciative smile. She had always openly admired Nadine's scars, and the woman would often preen at the mentions before shrugging off the comments and distracting herself with some tedious task, like polishing her boots. 

Chloe let go of a heavy sigh as she cradled her face in her hands and rubbed tiredly at her eyes. She reached back and tugged her ponytail holder off, letting her hair loose to fall about her shoulders and curtain her face. Long fingers grooved through her hair as she massaged some of the tension out of her skull. 

"I think I kind of miss your bangs." Nadine's scratchy voice cut through the silence. 

Chloe dropped her hands and sat up straight as she met sleepy brown eyes. Chloe's smile was wide and Nadine's matched. "I think I miss them too," Chloe said with a wink as she stood up and moved to stand next to the bed. 

Nadine groaned at the chalky taste in her mouth. "Did I get a bionic arm or anything?" She glanced at her shoulder. 

Chloe laughed out loud. "No way, I'm letting you get a bionic arm. Next thing I know, you'll want to drive the Jeep." 

Brown eyes rolled and then she glanced at the water on the table. Chloe filled her cup while Nadine raised the bed up. She gratefully drank from the straw until the little pink plastic cup was empty. She blinked slowly and appreciatively. "I'll have you know," she finally started after a moment. "I rather like being chauffeured around." She winked and they both laughed. 

The two women simply watched one another quietly for a moment, both content to just enjoy the other's presence without interruption or threat of death. Long fingers reached out to smooth down the frizzy flyaways of dark brown that had gotten loose from Chloe's haphazard attempt to braid her hair before the surgery. Gray eyes fell to Nadine's lips and the microscopic beginning of a smirk pulled at the right edge of Nadine's mouth. Chloe quickly looked up and a faint tinge of red began to color her cheeks. 

Nadine blinked slowly. Kissing in hospitals was so cliché, she thought; however, she was beginning to reassess that thought. Looking up at the woman, she met her eyes and felt a familiar warmth spread in her stomach. Maybe hospital kisses weren't so bad. In fact, she was sure that she'd kiss Chloe dangling one-legged from a broken thousand-year old statue-face buried in the Saharan desert, if need be. Nadine knew they both needed to process what had happened at the Villa, but presently she just wanted to be reminded that her partner was alive and well. 

Nadine leaned up just a touch and Chloe ducked her head closer right before a brusquely open door stole the moment. With a quiet sigh, Chloe stepped back and managed a half-hearted smile at the entering doctor. Whatever they had both wanted to say and do would have to wait. 

**________________________________________  
**Part. II****

Two days of the hospital had given way to a quiet trip out of town and hotel with two beds. Another day filled with minutiae about their artifact and a lead on the next, kept them occupied on the flight back to Amsterdam. 

A slightly less grumpy Nadine sat on the supple tan leather of her couch in a pair of lime green running shorts, with her arm in a sling, and a glass of water in her left hand. 

"Looks like they gave you the good stuff." Chloe left the modest kitchen with a bottle of pills. She was winking at Nadine and popping the top on the bottle. 

"Need some help there, china?", she teased. 

Nadine huffed, clearly annoyed. "I can do this myself you know." Her tone was a bit more caustic then she meant. She sighed immediately when Chloe let out a frustrated snort of air through her nostrils. 

She placed the pills on the table within Nadine's reach. "I'm thinking maybe I should just stay at a hotel." She quickly stood up while gathering her hair into a ponytail. It was bad enough that she felt responsible for Nadine being wounded, but now, Nadine seemed to be angry at her. "It might be better if- 

Nadine touched her fingertips to Chloe's wrist and she stopped talking. "Sit, Chloe." The quiet request was not so much demanding, as it was pleading. Chloe sat. Nadine was silent for an impossibly long moment as she put the pills on the table in her mouth and then drank from her glass. She placed the glass back down before glancing at Chloe who remained seated next to her on left side. Half of one cushion on the couch separated them. "Why on Earth would you get a hotel?" There was sliver of hurt in her voice, before she dryly stated, "half of your clothes are here." Nadine's left eyebrow twitched and Chloe had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. 

Chloe used the back of her hand to swat at Nadine's bare thigh. Chloe kept her eyes fixed on Nadine's face. They were going to have to a conversation about her painfully short running gear. "And here I thought you were going to be nice to me. I don't just offer to be anybody's nurse maid." There wasn't enough venom in her words for Nadine to take her seriously. 

"Shouldn't you be wearing one of those outfits?" Nadine kept a straight face. 

Chloe pursed her lips and eyed the woman quizzically. "Nadine Ross," she teased. "Are you suggesting we play dress up?" Chloe's husky accent curled around the syllables. Nadine could barely contain her groan that was both parts annoyed and aroused. Chloe continued, "I'd just love to see you in a dress." 

Brown eyes cut towards Chloe sharply. "No, way Frazer." 

"Oh, you're no fun." Chloe bumped Nadine's uninjured shoulder causing her to trade her slight scowl for a grin. "There she is. Is that a smile?" 

Nadine failed to curtail her smile at Chloe's light teasing. She nudged the other woman with her elbow as Chloe erased the space between them and moved closer to Nadine on the couch. 

Chloe grinned. "You feeling a bit better?" 

Nadine let her head fall back against the cushion and she sighed. "Ja," was her quick reply. She closed her eyes to a dull wave of pain. "I mean I feel like I got shot, but that was mostly my fault." 

Nadine's eyes were still closed, so she didn't see the grimace on Chloe's face. Chloe drew long legs, still covered in the soft cotton of her pale blue sleeping pants, up on the couch and turned her body towards Nadine. She sat up straight and rested her elbow on the couch as he eyes freely roamed over the woman seated next to her. "Yeah, um, about that?" 

Brown eyes slowly opened and Nadine rotated her head so that she was looking at Chloe. She could hear the remorse in her voice and knew that an apology was on her lips. "Don't even go there, Frazer." Gray eyes looked away in a rare show of shame. "Eish, don't give me that look either," Nadine said with a groan of disapproval. "It happened. And besides, I've had worse." Nadine rolled her eyes and pointed at the scar on her neck. 

Chloe groaned. "Doesn't make me feel any better." 

"Chloe," Nadine warned. She diffused her annoyance with a tiny grin. "I thought you were a professional." Nadine smirked. 

This time Chloe rolled her eyes and plucked the other woman in the shoulder. "Oh yeah?" She grinned slyly. "I thought professionals didn't get shot." She arched an eyebrow at Nadine who answered with a raised eyebrow of her own. 

A wry grin pulled at Nadine's lips. "Yeah well, professionals also lose their minds when they see their best friend get shoved out of a window to what might be their death." 

Chloe did not fight the smile that lit up her face, nor could she stifle warmth that spread upwards from her belly to her chest. "Oh, love, I'm your best friend." Her tone was purposefully saccharine. 

Nadine sucked her tooth and just glared at the other woman. "Such a wanker," she said with a chuckle. 

Chloe laughed and reached out to push a loose curl away from Nadine's forehead. She let her fingertips linger and trace Nadine's brow. Soon she was letting the fingertips of her right hand follow along the curve of her cheek and the sharp line of her jaw. A tiny voice said that she should stop, but her need to feel the other woman, her need to affirm her presence, took precedence. 

Nadine closed her eyes at the touch of Chloe's fingers on her face. She moved her left hand over about an inch and let it rest on the knee that was snug against her own thigh. Amazingly, in the past three days this was the first time that they had dared touch each other. Nadine usually avoided casual contact or even the semblance of affection, but with Chloe, she seemed to find excuses to touch the other woman. Given the circumstances, neither of them needed an excuse. 

Chloe watched in awe at the relaxed features of Nadine's face while the woman practically nuzzled her hand. "I'm glad you're not dead." Chloe deliberately ran her thumb across the soft flesh of Nadine's bottom lip. She swore she felt the other woman shiver. 

Warm brown eyes opened at Chloe's more than friendly touch and neither woman tried to avoid the other's gaze. "I'm glad you're not dead, too.” Nadine gently squeezed Chloe's knee. 

For a breath or two, neither woman spoke, both grateful to simply be in each other's space, whole and alive. Chloe knew she was supposed to say something. In the hospital for those few hours of surgery she had even rehearsed what she wanted to say. It was terribly romantic and self-deprecating and even a little sarcastic. She knew Nadine would try to brush it off and appear nonplussed and then maybe they would laugh it off. But now, sitting next to Nadine's warm body, curling around her the night before, and caressing her face, she knew there weren't enough words. She drew her thumb once more across Nadine's lips and she was sure that she felt the other woman press a whisper of her kiss to her thumb. 

Nadine's pulse jumped in her neck and it matched Chloe's dilated pupils. Chloe's right hand cupped her cheek and her thumb continued to tease at her bottom lip. On the third touch, or maybe it was the fourth, Nadine gently bit at the fleshy pad of Chloe's thumb. Whatever hesitation was holding Chloe back was instantly replaced by the heat of arousal that spread quickly throughout her body. She surged forward and replaced her thumb with her lips. 

Nadine's soft whimper was swallowed up by Chloe's moan at the long overdue contact. Nadine lifted her head as she opened her mouth to allow the kiss to deepen. Now both of Chloe's hands framed her face as they kissed long and deep. Nadine's left hand pulled at Chloe's hip in a subconscious need to get closer. Chloe rose on her knees and swung her leg over the seated woman, so that she was straddling her. Chloe gasped for breath before meeting Nadine's soft lips once more. With her only usable hand, Nadine buried her fingers in the hair at the back of Chloe's neck and held her close as their kisses vacillated between sometimes bruising and sometimes frantic and sometimes soft. 

Nadine's chest was heaving and her head was hazy and it wasn't just because of Chloe's kisses; kisses that threatened to devour her. Chloe moved against the smooth plane of her stomach and the contact elicited twin moans. The thin cotton material of Chloe's sleeping pants made it clear they needed to move this off the couch, posthaste. 

Chloe ground her hips against the seated woman and felt Nadine buck against her in response. She bit down hard on Nadine's lip and caused strong fingers to tightly grip her hair. They were going to have to get off this couch. Through sloppy kisses to Nadine's lips and chin, Chloe asked, "can we please move this to the floor or a bed or - 

Nadine was nodding into her kiss and gripping Chloe around the waist before she could even finish. With strong thighs, Nadine stood up with Chloe still very much in her lap. The flood of wetness that coated her thighs and subsequently Nadine's stomach did not go unnoticed by either woman. Chloe shook with pleasure as she thought about how much she was going to enjoy every inch of skin and muscle that the brown skinned woman had to offer. 

As Nadine stood up fully, Chloe trusted the arm braced around her waist and moved to wrap her legs around Nadine's hips. She kept her right hand on Nadine's cheek and used her left hand to keep her balance. A second too late, she realized where she had placed her hand. 

****

Nadine's guttural "fuck" tore out of her throat and they collapsed back to the couch. 

"Shite! Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, oh, fuck." Chloe snatched her hands back as she watched Nadine grit her teeth and squeeze her eyes shut tight against the obvious pain. They fell into the couch and Chloe sat back on her knees, which were still on either of Nadine's hips. She smoothed away the tears that had escaped Nadine's eyes. "I'm so sorry, love." She let her head drop to Nadine's good shoulder. 

Nadine let out a breath as that first shock of pain began to subside. She used her left hand to rub soothingly up and down Chloe's back. Chloe let out a whine and then a resigned chuckle. Nadine grinned. "It's okay. Really." 

Chloe finally lifted her head, but kept her eyes downcast. "Really?" 

Nadine sucked in a breath at a stab of pain. Chloe ran her hand across her cheek in what she knew was a fruitless effort to offer comfort. Nadine smiled just the same. "No worries, the good drugs will kick in any minute." 

Concerned gray eyes watched as another wave of pain passed. "Just take a deep breath." Nadine opened her eyes and together they took a few deep breaths. 

Nadine let her head fall back against the couch and then she managed a grin. "I'm fine Chloe, really I am." 

Chloe ran the back of hand against the side of Nadine's cheek. "I swear I'm usually smoother than this." She blushed. 

Glassy brown eyes took a moment to meet Chloe's eyes. "Don't worry, I won't hold this against you." Her wide smile made her eyes crinkle. 

"And I see the drugs have kicked in." Chloe's voice was warm against Nadine's forehead as she pressed a kiss to her brow. 

Nadine fought to open her eyes wide and she was greeted with Chloe's lopsided grin as she watched her. "On the upside, I can barely feel my shoulder." She attempted to wink and failed. 

Chloe just sighed and shook her head before easing off the couch and standing. "Alright, Casanova, up with you." 

On the second try, Nadine finally grabbed the outstretched hand and let Chloe pull her to her feet. She gripped Chloe's hip to keep herself steady. She stepped into Chloe's space and looked up at her with sleepy eyes. "Can I interest you in, uh, sleeping with me?" She nodded her head towards the bedroom. 

A shiver of pleasure ran up Chloe's spine as she ducked her head and pressed a soft kiss to Nadine's lips. She knew the woman was making light of the situation, but that did nothing to dull the ache of pleasure between her thighs. "That's not fair Nadine Ross." 

Nadine managed a cheeky grin as Chloe grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the bedroom. "I'll let you be the big spoon and everything." 

"Aren't you just full of chivalry." 

Nadine just smiled in response as she disappeared into the bedroom with Chloe hot on her heels. 

**_Fade out_ **

**Author's Note:**

> You can always find me scrolling through Twitter @BeADragonBlerd


End file.
